The Larkfleet approach to Neighborhood Plans

Reading back through the letters pages in the Rutland Times it was interesting to read peoples views about the developers Larkfleet in Uppingham and their recent changes to their planned developments.

The first letter was from Brian Bruce and the second was from Niel Bennet about the Uppingham's Neighborhood Plan and about a what has become a controversial development by Larkfleet around the town. Larkfleet are seeking judicial review with the High Court’s planning court to over turn the Neighborhood Plan which was endorsed by more than 90 per cent of voters in a referendum back in early July 2014. The neighborhood plan proposes at least 170 homes to be built between 2013 and 2026, allocating three sites for development in the market town however the Lakefleet is promoting a site that was not allocated in the document and hence their launching of a review to overturn the plan.

In the letters published in the newspapers the two writers are clearly concerned that future development by Larkfleet. They are not opposed to development of housing as such but the tactics that Larkfleet are using to push their developments passed what the communities themselves feel is acceptable and have agreed upon. In the case of Brian Bruce he talks about how the Neighborhood Plan allows development that would not compromise the character of a beautiful, traditional market town, but would rather enhance it. Both are worried about the  effect that planned developments will have on their local area's as are the people that voted for the Neighborhood plan.

Larkfleet have a recent history of criticising and challenging Councils back in January 2013 it was South Kesteven District Council as it felt it was being left out of the Councils development plans for political reasons and said so publicly in the press. This was after failing to overturn the councils decision to not allow the construction of 1,000 homes in manthorpe back in December 2012 who refused their plans. In April 2014 the company was refused a full hearing by the High Court to have South Kesteven District Council’s grant of planning permission for the relief road to the south of Grantham quashed.

What is ironic in this is that the rant to the  press in January 2013, Larkfleet's managing director Karl Hick said “Grantham’s growth should be about what’s best for Grantham", well what is best for Grantham, as is best for Rutland, is what the people decide not a group of developers.  Larkfleet should be consulting the public, listening to communities, looking at their Neighborhood Plans and Strategic Development Plans and not railroading the whole process through the use of the High Courts. No wonder Karl Hicks won an award for high and profitable growth because he more interested in money than what people in the local communities think.

Since moving to Rutland I have notice in particular in the couple of years an increase in the the level of noise in and around the Oakham area caused by the increase in car usage in and around the town. All this has been caused by the influx of extra people due to the developments in the area. With this has come an increase in air pollution. Once green areas around the town, once used by local farmers or for recreation have been turned in to a brown muddy mess caused by the development of hundreds of houses which in my experience has little public support in and around Oakham.

It is imperative if the people that live in the area have a say in the development of the areas they live in, after all we can't trust bodies like Rutland County Council to do this for us on their own. It is wrong that developers like Larkfleet, under whatever disguise they choose to trade, can walk all over the Neighborhood Plans which were introduced as part of the Localisation Act passed in 2011. These are our communities and developers have a moral right to listen to the people that live in them. The last thing they should be doing is threating and acting like bullies.